Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am glad to be speaking on this matter of public importance because I agree with the essence of what Senator McKim is saying: housing is a really urgent and important issue. During Homelessness Week this week, we should all be doing our part to fight for the solutions. We should also be listening to the experts in this space. We should deliver housing for Australians, who are depending on us to get the job done. However, where we differ is that if I think an issue is important—as we all know housing is for Australians—then I want to take action. That's not by sending out another email to bolster support or by ranting and raving and posting another video on social media. When I think an issue is important, I take real action and so do the Albanese Labor government and our Labor senators, like any responsible elected representative should.

As a relatively new senator, marking just over a year in this place, I am still getting used to the antics of other people here. The behaviour of the Greens when it came to housing was shocking to me at first, but now as it drags on still it becomes more and more disappointing. To spell it out, the Greens are a party that have teamed up with the Liberals and Nationals to shut down our plan to deliver housing for vulnerable Australians. It's a big shame—yes, I know. It's a party that refused to listen to the calls from housing organisations, pleading for them to listen to sense and pass the fund.

Now that same party is using the words of those organisations to call for action on housing to try and claim this government isn't serious about housing. When talking with some of my colleagues about this issue, one person kindly referred to this behaviour as 'selective'. Well, I think it's just rank hypocrisy. They have done the numbers, cold and political, and they think there is still political value in withholding support. They know they can come in here and spin the narrative to position themselves as the savours of a crisis they are actively making worse. It's not good enough, and everyone in this place should hold themselves to a high standard.

Labor knows people across Australia are struggling to pay the rent. We know there are valid concerns, and we are acting to address them. The Albanese government is delivering the first substantial increase in Commonwealth rent assistance in over 30 years, Senator McKim. We are improving tax arrangements to encourage the delivery of new built-to-rent homes. The National Housing and Homelessness Ministerial Council has been tasked with developing a proposal to strengthen renters' rights and to report back on options to improve tenancy laws. We have launched the submission and consultation phase of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan, which will be a 10-year strategy that outlines a shared national vision to inform future housing and homelessness policy.

The solution to this problem many Australians are facing is supply. Yes, it's supply. That is the expert advice from the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, and increasing supply is what the Albanese Labor government is committed to. We have already delivered a $2 billion social housing accelerator to the states to deliver new social housing rental homes across the country. This Labor government is committed to delivering affordable housing. That's why we have reintroduced the Housing Australia Future Fund. The $10 billion fund will increase the supply of new social and affordable homes. That's 30,000 of them in the first five years, with 4,000 of them reserved for women and children leaving family or domestic violence or older women experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

I say to the Greens: if you think you're as green as you claim to be and if you're really concerned about housing and supporting renters, then support the Housing Australia Future Fund, because, honestly, Australians are sick and tired of having to wait and watch you play these political games rather than coming to the table and agreeing to support this important fund.